


Unmei no Akai Ito

by lotusroyals



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Byakugan, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Everyone Takes The Limelight like the Original Story, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hyuuga Clan-centric, Hyuuga Feels, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Love For the Village, Manipulation, Other, Plot, Plot Centric, Romantic Friendship, Will Change the Summary Later, but i have decided to name the reader here, love story but not romance centric, so Rini Mayonaka, still is, this was a neji/reader story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23657902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotusroyals/pseuds/lotusroyals
Summary: When Rini Mayonaka awakens Byakugan at a tender age, she receives everyone's awe and wonder but it soon evident that it is a cause for both celebration and worries as she is distantly related and not an original member of the Hyuuga Clan. Sent away by her father to Konohagakure in hopes of training her Byakugan, she begins to reside with the Hyuuga and quickly befriends the daughter of the clan leader, Hinata and her cousin Neji.Things do not go as smoothly as she liked them to be. Thrown into the conflict of ideals between Neji and Hinata, she is not sure how to convince Neji that fate is not as predetermined as he believes it to be when he is adamant not only ingraining that idea into Hinata but her as well. It also doesn't help when she starts having nightmares about things she doesn't even know about. To put the cherry on top, she is ready to pull out her hair when she unwillingly becomes an advisor for romance.As time goes on and she continues her training and making friends, her nightmares begin to worsen and she discovers not everything is as they seem to be and her father might not be the person she thought him to be.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata & Rini Mayonaka, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/OC, Hyuuga Neji/Reader, Hyuuga Neji/Rini Mayonaka (OC)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

“Did you hear?”

“Yes, I did! Is it true?”

The man nods. His wife gasps out of fright, her hand flying out to cover her mouth.

Instantly pity clouds her eyes.

“Poor girl. She has been blessed with one of the most powerful kekkai genkai besides our own. Too bad she is destined for such a short life.”

\--

“Dad, how far do we have to walk?”

“Not much. We are almost there.”

“Dad,” she deadpanned. “You have been saying that since yesterday.”

Her father chuckled. “Now. Now. Don’t get mad. Patience is a virtue. I know you are excited to befriend the young shinobis but behave. Look at your brother. You are making him cry.”

Instantly, a baby’s loud cry erupted, shattering the peaceful silence. Rini winced at the high volume and rushed over to her mother.

As soon as she laid her eyes on her baby brother, the irritation that was pricking her nerves vanished.

“Shh, Don’t cry little potato,” she whispered softly poking the baby’s soft, chubby cheeks. Rini no matter what never got tired of poking them. Her baby brother was so cute with those adorable puffy cheeks and mashed up potato face of his!

“There, there, Haruka,” her mother sang gently while cradling the newborn. The sunlight glinted off the bangles and bracelets she wore and as she shook her hand above the little boy’s head, the tiny bell charms hanging from them chimed melodiously, charming the little potato.

A soft smile graced everyone’s lips when the boy started giggling.

“Rini,” her mother called her exasperatedly, still shaking her wrist. Rini could hear the sigh in her tone and knew what she was going to say next. “How many times have I told you not to call your little brother, potato?”

“More than I count with my fingers,” she answered cheekily with a bright grin.

Everyone burst into laughter at their heiress’s mischief.

Her mother gaped at her and blinked. Her hand flew forward to give a light smack to her daughter’s forehead.

“Silly child. You are becoming bolder and bolder each day. Osamu-chan, you are pampering her too much,” her mother pouted.

“Ow,” she whined rubbing her forehead, not hurt at all.

Upon hearing his wife call him so affectionately in public, the man blushed furiously to the roots of his hair. This earned him another series of chuckles from the others. Even after so many years of marriage, their Clan Leader still remains a lovelorn teenager. It seemed their Madam had realized what she had called her husband for she too blushed.

Their cheeks were painted pink.

Rini shook her head fondly at her parents’ antics.

With nothing distracting him, the newborn realized nobody attention was paying attention to him anymore and stirred in his mother’s arms.

“Uh-oh,” Rini’s little sister, Mana said as she took a step back.

Rini followed her little sister’s gaze.

“Uh oh, indeed,” she nodded furiously in agreement when she saw her little brother’s lips tremble and his eyes well up with tears.

Then a high pitched cry pierced through their ears.

“Dear, he is hungry,” her mother said urgently. “We have really come a long way. I’m sure everybody is tired. Let’s stop here for today, hm?”

“Konohagakure is only a few hours away. I was thinking of reaching the village today itself,” her father trailed off seeing the heavy looks on everyone’s faces. Somebody on the front swayed from side to side before he fainted into his companion’s arms.

“Okay, okay,” Her father sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his face. “Shinchu, you don’t have to faint.”

Shinchu who was laying on the ground looking very much dead rather than unconscious jumped awake with a huge smile on his face. "Really?!"

So much for being exhausted to the bone.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s set – “ before he could even finish, all the clan members erupted in cheers and raced off who knows where to set up their tents.

Osamu’s shoulders dropped.

“Why does this always happen to me?” he sighed mournfully.

“There, there,” Rini patted her father’s hand comfortingly almost comically much to the amusement of Mana and his wife. The youngest daughter and mother shared silent giggles before they walked off to join their other family members.

Now, to many it would seem that Osamu Mayonaka was not a strong leader but that was not the case at all. In fact, Rini would dare to say he is the strongest and the most reliable man the Mayonaka Clan had the fortune of having. It’s not that she is being partial because she is his daughter but everyone has said so and most importantly, she has seen him in action herself too. Her father has always worked tirelessly from dusk till dawn and their clan has thrived immensely under her father’s leadership.

Their clan is strong, proud, reputable and powerful and have been so since the Warring States Era.

So it’s nothing new to know that Rini holds a great deal of pride in her clan’s prowess. She has read up on so many of her clan’s history, how they fought and won every one of their wars, how other clans came to their doors to be their allies, how their houses so many strong shinobi, how they were all-rounder in every aspect – ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu - and each tale only glorified the nine year old’s image of her clan in her head.

So when her father and mother and walks up to her and tells her that they are visiting one of their oldest allies, she was ecstatic.

And when her parents told her that the other clan was also their close family, she was thrilled.

What kind of shinobi would this clan consist of? Who were they? Are they nice? How powerful would they be? 

All sorts of questions birthed in her head and she wasted no time in firing each one of them.

She was just too excited, okay?

This is the first time she was going to meet her other relatives and she was beyond ecstatic. A bit anxious too. She wondered what kind of people they would be.

She was dying to meet the people there, to make friends of her age!

But when her parents told her, they were going to seek a bit of help for her eyes, her brain screeched to a halt.

All the excitement she was feeling dissipated.

Since when did she need help for her eyes?

She was asking too many questions, too fast to keep up with. She wasn’t the one to simply sit and go along obediently with what anyone said, including her parents.

Rini is curious and demanding yet a responsible child. That was the only thing that comforted Osamu Mayonaka’s heart and despite his wife’s protests, he divulged the story of her awakened Byakugan though he kept it short and concise (which Rini noticed) and then relayed to her the main purpose of their visit.

Rini listened intently to everything her father told her. From the little she has overheard from her parents, she’s really lucky to have awakened the Byakugan. It should have been a joyous occasion then really except her mother sounded worried about her new power. So did her father.

And that’s when she got to know she had to be sent away to Konohagakure to train her new eyes.

“Otou-san, can’t the Hyuga clan just send someone over to our clan to train me?” Rini asked (pleaded) for the umpteenth time. That’s what she was wondering every second. It was the best and easy solution. “We can pay them as much as they want. I don’t want to stay with people I don’t know. I want to stay with you. Don’t send me away.”

“Oh? What happened to you wanting to make new friends?”

Rini didn’t say anything. Seeing her hard gaze on him, Osamu sighed.

“Rini, dear daughter, we have been over this,” he took a deep breath. “We are sending you to Konohagakure for your own good. Those eyes of yours are a gift. If you do not train properly, then you can’t use your power to its full extent. Didn’t you tell me your wish is to protect your little brother and sister?”

Rini opened her mouth but no words came out. She pursed her lips as she looked at her feet with a heavy gaze.

“I did tell that but those two are different things. Besides -”

“No besides,” cut Osamu firmly. Seeing Rini ‘s eyes widen, he realized he sounded harsh. He cleared his throat.

“If you are not strong, you won’t be able to do that. To grow strong, you have to make a few sacrifices.”

“Sacrifice,” Rini whispered.

“Rini, the Hyuga have been our friends since the Warring Era, our ties with them has grown stronger when your mother married into the clan. Once you get to know them, they won’t be strangers anymore. It will be like staying at a friend’s place.”

Rini stared at her father’s face. She wasn’t sure as much, not when they was so worried about letting her stay over at their so-called relatives’ place.

Osamu knew what she was thinking. He could see the doubt swirling in the child’s unblinking gaze. He put his hands on her shoulder.

“We don't want to send our daughter away,” Osamu said carefully, making sure that every word conveyed his sincerity and assured the little girl. “But it’s for the best. I have heard Hiashi-sama’s daughter is around your age. There are others around your age as well. I’m sure you will be fine.”

Rini’s eyes softened hearing that. Osamu smiled squeezing her shoulders.

“Now that’s over with it,” he said nonchalantly as he stood up and dusted his knees. “Don’t be stubborn, hm?” Osamu flashed a grin and ruffled her hair. His expression was gentle even happy, his tone even more so. Seeing her father so confident and happy with his decision, the doubts in Rini’s heart slowly disappeared and a smile crept up her lips.

\--

It was late at night. The fire was still cracking and the occupants of the tents were all sound asleep except one.

The kunai shot through the air in quick succession one after the other. The night was silent except for the chirping of crickets and the piercing of the woods. Rini strolled to her target to check the landing spot of her weapons and felt pleased when she saw the trunk.

Perfect hits.

Suddenly her senses tingled and she whirled around to face the presence behind her.

It took a while. A small figure contemplatively walked forward with slow steps. Rini squinted her eyes to get a better look. Who could it be? Everyone was already asleep. Then a thought occurred to her making her muscles tense.

What if it is a wild beast?

She gripped the kunai in front of her in a firm hold, waiting for the figure to step into the moonlight. The footsteps were light, not heavy and the shadow of the approaching silhouette was short.

“Nee-san? What are you doing out here?”

“Mana?” Rini was surprised. “I should be asking you that. What are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping,” she stated, retracting her hand and putting back the kunai in her pouch.

“I was,” Mana said, yawning all the while until she came close to her. “But then I noticed you weren’t there so I came to find you.”

She had come here to clear her mind but clearly that wasn’t an option anymore. They were quite far from the campsite.

“You shouldn’t have,” Rini said sternly. “There are wild beasts lurking everywhere. What if you had come across one of them?”

“I didn’t. The beasts are all sleeping anyway,” Mana said as a matter-of-fact, looking quite proud of herself. Rini stared at her sister for a while before bursting into laughter.

“What’s funny?”

“Aww~ Just admit it. You can’t sleep without me,” Rini giggled, slinging an arm around her little sister and pulling her closer.

“Not at all!” Mana protested loudly, her face turning red. Rini pressed her lips to suppress her laughter, her cheeks became puffed out instead. The amusement in her sister’s wide eyes made Mana turn her face away.

Suddenly she perked up and her eyes darted far behind Rini. “Were you training, nee-san?”

“Hm,” Rini shook her head enthusiastically.

“You shouldn’t have,” she frowned suddenly. “Mum told us to sleep early today.”

“Mum tells us to get a proper goodnight sleep everyday,” Rini stated with a grin as she left her sister’s side to pull out the kunai.

The silence caught her attention, causing her to halt and look over her shoulder. Much to Rini’s confusion, that didn’t amuse Mana and instead, her frown deepened. Her face was also slightly scrunched up, looking very constipated.

Rini raised her brows. “Is something bothering you?”

“Nee-sandon’tleave!” Mana blurted out, the words all rushing out together in one breath. Rini blinked, startled by the sudden outburst but Mana didn’t let her older sister speak. She was gasping for breath as if she had run a thousand miles. She had been holding back her thoughts for so long. “Don’t leave! Tell father to cancel this trip! Tell him that you won’t go!”

“Mana,” Rini whispered before shaking her head. “That’s not possible.”

Mana’s face contorted. Rini pressed her lips.

“Why not?”

Mana couldn’t understand _. If her sister stands her ground if she doesn’t agree, then how can father send her away against her wishes?_

Rini looked utterly defeated but other than that, she couldn’t read what was going on in her sister’s mind. The seven year old could see the gears turning in her Rini’s brain as she contemplated her answer.

The two stared at each other.

“Come and help me pick up the kunai,” Rini said finally turning away.

A signal. She was thinking.

Mana rushed to the tree and began pulling the kunai from the trunk and dropped them in her sister’s pouch that was sitting at the base of the tree.

“You have been training hard just a few hours ago,” Rini said pulling one of the kunai.” Infact, you have been using everyone of our breaks as your training period. At this rate, you’ll get tired and sick. Take it easy, will you?”

“I can’t slack off. You are so strong. I want to become stronger than you and surpass you,” Mana said firmly, turning to look at her with eyes full of determination.

Rini grinned brightly.

“But there are so many powerful shinobi in our clan. Otou-san is the most powerful shinobi in our clan. Okaa-san is the best medic nin.”

“I want to surpass them too,” Mana stated, crossing her arms and leaning on the trunk. “Wait a minute, don’t distract me!” she accused, pointing a finger at her.

 _So cunning!_ thought Mana who knew what Rini was trying to do. Rini to her credit didn’t even try to hide her amusement as burst into a fit of giggles.

“You—“ Mana fumed clenching her fists. How dare she? Here she was. Breaking her brains from worrying for her and her older sister didn’t give a damn to ease her worries.

“Okay,” Rini conceded with a bright smile as she ruffled her hair. “Train hard then.”

That was it. One pat on the head and a simple “okay”. That was all it took for Mana’s boiling anger to evaporate into thin air.

It was a single statement but that was all she needed to hear. Those genuine words of her sister’s were a thousand times more encouraging than the praises she has heard from her teachers, from anyone in the clan.

For a brief moment, Mana wondered whether her sister was aware of that.

“What do you think I will do then?” Mana scoffed. “Skip stones across the river?”

“Tough words for a kid.”

“I’m not a KID!”

Seeing that her little sister has cooled down, Rini plopped down on the ground with little grace and patted the spot beside her.

Mana obeyed.

“Actually for this once, I wasn’t distracting you,” Rini said looking at the dark sky above. There was not a single star visible tonight.

Mana listened closely.

“I have to grow stronger too if I want to protect you, little potato, Okaa-san, Otou-san and everyone in the future. So I have to go.”

“But why?” Mana shot up from her seat. “Why are you agreeing to this? You are not protesting even!”

“I have protested but father didn’t listen.“

“Then I will tell him this time!” Mana insisted and began to stomp off.

Rini shot forward to grab her wrist. “What are you doing? You think father will listen to you when he didn’t even listen to me. I have told him so many times too.”

“It’s not like I haven’t already told him. I don’t understand. Our clan is the strongest!” Her voice rose an octave higher with each word she spoke. ”We have the knowledge, the power, the alliances to do anything we want. We have so many powerful shinobi. You can grow stronger under their tutelage too! We don’t lack anything –“

“They lack the Byakugan,” cut Rini quietly.

Mana grew silent.

“It’s not like I want to go. I have to go. If I want to learn more about these eyes of mine, I have to. Our relatives are the only ones who can train me.

“Why do you look like that by the way? I thought you’ll be happy that I’ll be gone.”

Mana gaped at her. “What? Why will I be happy?”

“Because you will get the spotlight?” Rini scratched her neck looking away.

Immediately, a fist rained down on her head.

“Ow! Mana!”

“You idiot! Why would I be happy that you are going away? I don’t even give a rat’s arse for that spotlight! You are going away and I don’t even know for how long!”

Rini who was busy rubbing the sore spot paused. Till now, Rini had thought her sister will be relieved if not happy now that she will be gone. Her little sister is a recognized genius but she always pushes herself to work harder to become as strong as her.

Now the thing is, Rini won’t say she is a strong person. She won’t say that about herself but she will say she is capable. As for her sister, she was way beyond skilled with kunai and ninjutsu than one might expect from someone her age.

Mana was a prodigy. Yet for some reason, Rini had a hunch she felt inferior.

She was sure she wasn’t wrong about that but…

As Rini watched Mana’s eyes turn glassy, thorns of guilt to prick her heart and it didn’t take long for her to realize how wrong she was.

Her sister was going to miss her as much as she was going to miss her.

“Okay, okay. I was wrong,” She said quickly, climbing to her feet and petting her head.

“Look wherever I will be, it won’t stop us from visiting each other. You can visit me anytime you want and I will visit you too.”

“Promise?” She held up her pinky finger.

“Promise,” Rini gave her word, curling her own pinky finger around hers.

She had come to the field to be alone, to clear her mind. She didn’t expect to be interrupted by her sister instead but it wasn’t bad, definitely better since it dissolved a doubt she has had for a long time.

Osamu had thought she was angry with everything and while he wasn’t entirely wrong, he was mostly incorrect.

She was annoyed.

Annoyed with her parents. Annoyed with their decision. Annoyed with her eyes. Annoyed with everything really.

She isn’t comfortable with the situation yet but if there is one thing she knows, it is that her father knows the best.

If it is for her to grow stronger, then so be it.


	2. Chapter 2

**THERE WAS ONLY SO MUCH A CHILD COULD HOPE TO UNDERSTAND** and Mana was trying her hardest to understand where her sister was coming from. But for the seven year old, it seemed that it beyond her scope and when she sneaked a glance at her sister’s face, she realized that Rini herself was having an internal battle despite the solid words she spoke earlier. All that Rini said was reasonable but even the seven year old can see the holes in her sister’s logic and she knew her sister knew it as well.

The Mayonaka clan isn’t lacking in anything. They are abundant in knowledge, holding the secrets to some of the deadliest jutsus, consists of powerful shinobi and overflowing with riches. Surely even if they didn’t have the slightest clue on how to help Rini train her byakugan then they could simply call for one of the Hyuula (was it?) clan members over if they were really such good friends as Osamu claimed them to be?

 _No_ , Mana thought. _Her father called them their relatives._

 _It’s for the best_ , her father had said.

_How was it the best? How can her sister live without father, mother, without her and little Haruka among all those new people alone?_

But amidst all the confusion and despite all the questions gnawing at her, Rini had made up her mind.

Mana didn’t know how it could be the best decision to send her sister to live among strangers, _in a different village_ , she thought grimly yet Osamu was adamant to follow his decision through and Rini, though rebellious, always obeyed what he said/.

Rini trusts their father, blindly,

She wondered whether she was being selfish in wanting to keep her sister.

“I don’t make any mistake,” Osamu had said to her when she argued.

She is not sure.

No matter how passionately she voiced her concerns, her words weren’t going to make any difference. Rini was hard-headed, ready to go through whatever the hell this stupid training was and Mana could see the determination filled to the brim in Rini’s eyes as she gazed at the grasslands ahead.

“Alright,” Rini said standing up and holding out her hand. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”

“Hmm,” Mana nodded, placing her small hand in her sister’s larger one and Rini pulled her to her feet with a grin.

Whatever happens, Mana just has to wait and see.

\--

It hadn’t taken long for the sisters to walk back to their tent. The night was quiet and it was a huge relief for the sisters to know nobody had got alerted that they had gone out on a little excursion. Mana was out like a candle the moment her head hit the pillow but it took longer for Rini to shut her eye.

She dozed off, her consciousness slowly ebbing away into the darkness and she could feel her body becoming heavier yet lighter with every passing second.

It was strange.

**Drip! Drip!**

Her whole body felt stiff as wood as she remained sprawled on the ground, she couldn’t move a single muscle and yet she knew she was moving somehow but that wasn’t the first thing she noticed. The ground beneath her was wet and bone-chilling, sending spikes of cold to stab all over her back and legs making her hairs stand on her skin; the gurgling of the waters was loud in her ears and it took a moment for Rini to realize she was floating down a stream.

_What was this? Where was this?_

She couldn’t see anything or feel anything except for the cold water that was sloshing between her fingers. More than floating down a stream, it felt like she heading towards an endless abyss. It was unnerving. There was a slight breeze every now and then and with the change in the wind direction, she could tell which direction she was going. 

_Wasn’t she sleeping?_

The currents of the stream were fast yet the waters were calm as they led her to who knows where. Rini could hear the water dripping every now and then – was it a cave? – and the more she tried to move, the more she felt pressed down by an invisible force. Something was pulling her down and at the same time pulling her forward and Rini was fairly sure she was being led by the force than the water currents.

And she was right.

The pull got stronger and stronger, the chilly air got heavier and heavier until she couldn’t breathe without feeling having inhaled spikes of ice. Still her surroundings were pitch black and the darkness had only gotten oppressive as the minutes ticked by. How long has it been? Her lungs were protesting for fresh air and then suddenly, the water stilled.

The force heavy as lead pressing her down was gone. She tried lifting her fingers. Nothing.

Everything had eerily gone quiet, she noticed. She could no longer hear the gushing streams, the water was no longer dripping and yet she herself couldn’t make a sound.

Rini moved her gaze towards her feet trying to see anything ahead. She knew it would be hopeless with all the darkness consuming her vision and she was right when she began hallucinating fleeting shadows dancing at the edge of her feet. Her brain had already started playing tricks on her and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold on.

Then the darkness dimmed a little, the chill in the air had gone frighteningly sharp and she noticed two white eyes staring at her.

“AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” She screamed her lungs out and then she realized with wide eyes that she could speak.

“You are loud,” a voice said tonelessly.

“Who are you?!”

There was no answer for a while. Those white eyes continued to stare at her, the intensity of that gaze was heavy and suffocating and she felt her body trying to curl up and shield herself to no avail.

The pair of eyes came closer, Rini squinted her eyes to get a better look and was left gasping in alarm when the figure inched closer.

“What are you?! What do you want?!”

It wasn’t a person. It wasn’t a person at all!

Her heart hammered against her ribcage.

It was formless, without any distinct shape resembling a cloud of smoke. The edges of whatever it was blurry. It inched closer, stopping right above her, centimetres from her chest and she felt a dark force pressing on her even though the smoke wasn’t touching her. Those frightening, blank eyes didn’t leave her for even a second and now they were piercing through her brain and boring holes into her soul.

“Don’t come closer!” She shrieked when long wisps of tendrils sprouted and wiggled from the cloud’s side and slithered towards her.

“You talk too much like the others.”

It didn’t listen.

\--

“Ri..ni…Rin…Rini…RINI! RINI! RINI!!!!”

Osamu kept screaming and calling out to his daughter to no avail. The girl was writhing on the floor, her body was cold and her eyes were squeezed shut as if she were in pain.

Beside him, his youngest daughter did the same as she shook

“Nee-san, nee-san, Rini nee-san wake up,” Mana’s eyes were misty.

“Rini, RINI,” his wife called out.

“Rini! RINI! RINI! WAKE UP!!!”

Someone was calling her.

_She had to go away! Who was calling her?_

Rini’s eyes snapped wide open as she gasped loudly like she was drowning and was just able to break through the water surface. Her eyes were blown open wide and Osamu and Mana both inched back, partly because they were shocked and partly to give her space to breathe.

“Are you alright?” Osamu asked calmly.

Rini whipped her head around frantically. There was no darkness, no cloud of smoke no nothing, only her parents and her little brother and sister.

She panted.

“Where am I?” her voice was raspy.” Where…did…that…thing go?” She choked on the last word.

Mana quickly lifted the water flask to her sister’s lips.

“What thing?” Osamu asked, concerned as he watched her drink small sips.

“That thing! That black thing!” She exclaimed with eyes wide. “It was all black. And had wide white eyes! It was floating! And it wouldn’t stop coming closer no matter how much I told it not to and I couldn’t breathe and then it was…“ her voice trailed off.

Her mind blanked.

_And then?_

_Then what?_

“Rini- chan, you were dreaming,” her mother said soothingly.

“What?” she whispered faintly, her own voice sounding foreign to her.

“You were dreaming, nee-san,” Mana repeated, her eyes gentle.

Rini shook her head. “No way. That couldn’t be.”

“Rini-chan,” Her mother took her hand into hers. “There is nothing here. Your father and I ran to you when Mana screamed for us. Everyone was scared. You were twisting and gasping and screaming but no matter what we did, you wouldn’t wake up.”

Rini stayed quiet for a moment. She kept her eyes on the sheets.

“So it was all a dream?” She whispered and her mother realized she was talking to herself. Still, she said: “Yes.”

“Yuki- chan, how is her pulse?”

“It’s fast but it is returning to the normal rhythm. She will be fine,” her mother said and the words just flew past her.

“So it was nothing? It was a nightmare?”

“Yes, Yes! It was nothing, nee-san,” Mana assured bobbing her head. “It was just a nightmare. You are safe. Tell her otou-san.”

Rini looked up to see the man nodding at her. “You are.”

Still, she couldn’t believe it. It felt real. So so real. She swore mentally that she could still feel the tendrils slithering along her ankles and legs and up towards her.

“We should get moving,” Osamu said after a moment and the tension in Rini’s shoulders chipped away a bit as she was momentarily distracted by what her father was saying. “It wouldn’t look good if we reach there late. I wouldn’t want to keep Hyuuga-sama and the Hokage waiting. Are you alright now?”

Rini gulped. She nodded.

“Alright. I will send the maid to help you get ready.”

“It’s okay. I can do it myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, otou-san. Just…give me a minute.”

Osamu stared for a moment. Then he nodded.

As he turned to leave with their mother, Rini tilted her head to rest on the younger girl’s shoulder.

“Nee-san? You sure you are alright?”

“It felt so real,” she whispered making sure to keep her voice low so that only Mana could hear. Her heart was still pounding but she could feel it growing calmer now.

“It wasn’t Rini nee-san,” Mana said, concerned and like she had said it for the umpteenth time. “Look,” she tilted her head and moved to face Rini directly. She smiled brightly. “Let’s not talk about what’s not even there. Haruka has been fussy since morning and I think he is missing you. Wash up quickly and go see him. What do you say nee-san?”

Thinking of the innocent little cute face, all the palpable fear that was keeping her body taut began to disperse. Rini took a deep breath and smiled softly. “Fussy huh?” there was teasing lilt to her voice as she tilted her head and her smile widened. “I think we know who the favourite sister is.”

 _Oh – this Rini!_ Here she was, worrying sick for her older sister and Rini had the nerve to make fun of her. She fumed clenching her fists. She so badly wanted to wipe that smug smile off her face and show her who’s the boss.

Rini watched her little sister in amusement. Her lips were pressed in a tight thin line and her cheeks were puffing out, blowing up like a balloon as she turned red in the face.

“Oh, you think too much of yourself. He is only hungry!”

“Aww~ That is not what you said earlier. We all know he is missing his favourite, the best sister in the world which is “ – she pointed to herself puffing out her chest proudly – “me.”

That was it. The balloon exploded and Mana dashed towards her with a roar, claws outstretched.

Rini maneuvered away just in time only for Mana to fall and sprawl on the floor.

“I bet you can’t catch me~” she sang.

Another cry and everyone watched with smiles on their faces as their youngest mistress gave chase to their heiress whose laughter rang in the air, full of joy and innocence.

Rini thinks.

_“If this is what a nightmare is, I don’t ever want to have another one again.”_

Little did she know, that this is only the beginning her nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> I have decided to bring back this old fic of mine again. You might have read it. It's also there on Quotev too.  
> This is a Neji Hyuga/Reader Story. I have written OC in the tags because well I have given a name to the reader and that might make people think it's an OC story. Anyway, what I am trying to say is OC is reader :D
> 
> Please let me know what you think  
> Thank you for reading <3<3<3
> 
> Come and say hi on Twitter @/lotusroyals


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